Augusta Cemetery
Grapeland, Houston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The final resting place of many Houston County pioneers, this cemetery has been in continuous use since the 1850s. It is located on four acres of land donated by Lucinda C. Sheridan Murchison (1808-1862), widow of early property owner John Sheridan. The earliest documented grave dates to 1854. Among those interred here are a number of children, including one unidentified young girl who died while traveling through the area with a wagon train; victims of the 1918 influenza epidemic; and veterans of the Civil War, World War I and World War II. A cemetery association began in 1950. (1990)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In continuous use since the 1850s, this cemetery rests on four acres donated by Lucinda Sheridan Murchison, widow of an early landowner, with its earliest documented grave dating to 1854. Among those buried here are pioneers, children—including an unidentified girl who died passing through with a wagon train—victims of the 1918 influenza epidemic, and veterans of the Civil War and both World Wars. A cemetery association formed in 1950 to care for the grounds.
Why it matters
A single Texas graveyard gathers a century of American experience—frontier travel, epidemic, and the nation's wars—into one plot of ground.
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Related people
- · Lucinda C. Sheridan Murchison
- · John Sheridan
Related events
- · 1918 influenza epidemic
Themes & tags
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